Shall We Call it An Unconventional Revenge?
by Neko-Koorime
Summary: Almost normal life. Except that Sarah dare not even think the Goblin King's name. He made it clear he'd be back, and she doesn't want to give him a chance...but then she slips up and... nothing happens? No Jareth? Or is he behind it all? Slight POTO. JxS
1. Define Fairytale

_**Welcome to the Teaser...** _

_My name is Sarah Williams. Why are you staring? Ah... you must have read my book, Labyrinth... I wrote it about 11 years ago after a somewhat traumatizing...dream... You don't believe me, do you? It really is a dream! I...Alright, I can see you aren't buying that. Fine, I'll tell you the truth. I really did go to the Labyrinth. No, really, I did. Don't stare! It's horribly rude! I know I sound crazy, but I really did wish my brother would be carried away by goblins in a fit of childish selfishness. I really did run a Labyrinth to get him back. I really did nearly fall in the Bog of Eternal Stench. Promise. And before you ask, yes I did turn down my dreams- More than once. Are you satisfied with my answers yet?_

_I won't lie and say that I haven't been changed at all by my experience down there. I'd like to say that I was able to put the entire experience behind me and live a perfectly normal, respectable, life, fulfill my dream of being an actress, and move on past my fantasies. After all, I turned them down. But, I really don't like to lie. In reality, I wrote down my experience, and someone sent it in to a publisher, I haven't figured out who et..I think it might have been my father or step mother. They printed it, and now I write novels for a living. I acted through high school, and little since, but... I guess everything else just pales in comparison after my true showdown. The only thing I can bring myself to lie about is the Labyrinth itself. I tell people it's a dream, because I'd rather not be carried away by the men in white jackets. I have a feeling that would give certain villains great pleasure. Not naming names._

_To be honest with you, even though I am aware of the Goblin..King's... name...I have never brought myself to say it allowed. I even changed it in the book to Garrod. No, I'm not going to tell you what his real name is. Do you think I'm stupid? I changed it for a reason. I don't want anyone accidently summoning him. I even changed his title in the literature, to Goblin Lord. I figure, just in case someone does get the idea of summoning him to take away a screaming child, he won't answer to that! I even put a warning label on my book. ...don't look at me like I'm paranoid!! I'm not, really... really..._

_As for that particular personage, That's the other thing I lie about. I get aked all the time if he really loved the girl, and if he continued to after she rejected him like that. I don't like to shatter people's hopes, so I tell them yes, even though I'm preeeetty sure he's forgotten all about the girl. I mean, seriously, in order for the surely casual fascination he had with me to have survived those six words, a man would have to be totally obsessed...or...or... no, they'd simply have to be_** totally obsessed...**

* * *

**_Clearly, Sarah hasn't exactly come to a total conclusion of her experience in the Labyrinth. Yet, with her book out, she does seem to be reminded of it. We all know there is a certain Goblin King out there who wasn't quite finished with Sarah as thoroughly as he'd like. A lot of unfinished business, unanswered questions. Sarah is doing her best to stay careful, not give him any chance to intervene, or to do unto others the same, even if he wanted to. _**

**_But we all know by now, nothing, is as expected with Jareth, now is it?_**


	2. Totally Obsessed

Totally Obsessed… Jareth had been called that more than once. Several times regarding the very girl who was dismissing him at this exact moment. She may have no faith in his affection, but there were rasons for her thoughts. Denial, he believed, mostly. And, sheer innocence.

He had warned her. The day after her adventure in his labyrinth. When she had called up her friends to visit, he had given her fair warning. She had been fairly surprised when he had shown up, holding Hoggle by the back of the neck. Actually, she'd been downright livid. She called him a few things that he hadn't been called by a human of her age in centuries. Or, ever, actually.

That was when his temper had flared, but not visibly. Of course, he hadn't expected to be welcomed into her home, even through a mirror, but he…well, he hadn't expected that. That was when he decided that he wouldn't give up on little Sarah Williams. No, he would temporarily concede, and then strike back with a full vengeance. Yet, all he told her was that he would strike when she least expected it, in the way she wouldn't predict, and so quickly, she wouldn't know what hit her. She would return to his labyrinth, he told her. And, if she wanted to survive this time, she'd better make good use of his name. Frequently, and honestly, or she would perish to one of the many dangers.

Of course, it wasn't until 3 years later that he actually had his revenge plotted out. He had gotten a bit ahead of himself there. It had taken him that long to put every piece of the plan in place, iron out every detail. Goblins were known for their craftiness when they had to be such. Though Jareth was no goblin, one had to be at least as clever as ones subjects.

It all started with his slipping of her little narrative memoir, complete with its changes that she had made, to a publishing company. Goblins were rather good at stealing little things like that, almost as good as they are at stealing young children.

He was a little disappointed at how much she downplayed him, exaggerating his cruelty and definitely focusing on the wrong aspects. People would hate him. And, Gerrod? Jareth was almost insulted. It didn't even sound proper for him. He left it unchanged, because she'd know it was his doing if he changed anything.

He had watched all last year, as she waited for something to happen, for him to strike. Now, since the tenth year had passed, she was expecting him to strike on the thirteenth. While he had toyed with that particular span, it seemed too obvious. No, it was clear he had to strike in the relaxed area either after the tenth or the thirteenth year. Though immortal, Jareth was not a patient man. He couldn't bear to wait 14 years to take his next shot at Sarah.

These eleven had been enough. His regal smirk spread slowly across his features. Indeed. The time for waiting had passed. It was now time, for sure, to make his rebuttal to her six word statement as fast, as powerful, and as shocking as he could make it. Jareth, the Goblin King, never lost forever. And Jareth, also always got what he wanted. She had turned him down, and then spit every vile word she could think of at him. All because of his generosity. Women were such fickle creatures. But, Sarah had been young. Perhaps she'd matured now.

He would find out. But, he would have plenty of help, wouldn't he. The image of his crystal shifted to encompass 4 people. Three old, and one new. Yes…he would have his help. Whether they knew it or not.

Yes, Jareth was totally obsessed, and shortly everyone involved would be aware of exactly how far Jareth went for that which he wanted. Not just wanted, desired, and, in this case…loved. A man of his strength wouldn't be turned away for eternity. No, he gave her plenty of time to grow up, and perhaps, realize the full meaning of his offers. Such naivety. He had thought she'd been ready at the tender age of 15. Ready to understand.

Time. He had plenty of it. He had restrained himself this long, and now, the dam was ready to break.

* * *

**_Jareth luffle, folks. It's goign to be lovely his little plot, it shall. In the meant time..Next chapter will actually be Sarah's doing. Also, if ya'll loves Phantom of the Opera, I think you're gonna like this fic. There isn't enough to consider this a corssover, but there will be some tie ins.. Next chapter is almost done. But I'm sorta grounded... _**


	3. You could say I have a best friend

Now, Sarah, though she was nearing the age of 26, three weeks, actually, had yet to move out on her own. She was honestly, a little nervous of what would happen if she did. When someone was around, she at least had some assurance against a certain goblin monarch showing up on her doorstep if she accidently slipped up. Or, that she might slip up at all. Her control around others had always been stronger than when she was by herself.

But, she couldn't very well stay in a house with Irene. That would have thrown off her control more than living on her own. She couldn't help but want to make irrational wishes around that woman. Yes, things had gotten better since her adventure, but, they still clashed a lot. The bonds of family held them together, and they were closer to being friends than before, but they were still pretty much at odds. Constantly.

That, was why Sarah lived with Annelise Matthews. Annelise was a junior editor at Sarah's publisher. And, she was also 6 years Sarah's junior. One might ask how she could stand the company of her.the truth is, you don't become a junior editor at a major publishing company at the tender age of 20 unless you either a) have connections, or b) Are insanely skilled. Annelise was not the former. Lise, achieved a perfect score on her ACT, and an almost perfect score on her SAT. More importantly, the girl had the determination of a bull. Once that girl started something, or got any kind of idea in her head, she went through with it until it was done, or until it was completely blockaded into a stalemate from all side, and even that had to be by reinforced steel walls.

And she thought she was bad. Or that the ruler of the Labyrinth was. Sarah had a feeling telling her 'You have no power over me.' wouldn't stop Lise from whatever she was doing.

One might say this would also make Lise mature. Not…really. The girl might be almost old enough to drink, but she also had the innocent heart of a child. The girl practically acted like she was 13, 15 on a good day, and 10 on a bad, when it came to anything that wasn't work. Meet her hard at work, one would think she was a perfectly devoted, professional. Meet her any other time…

Perhaps that was why Lise was a joy to be around. Constantly a little beam of sunshine. She truly kept Sarah from becoming a recluse…never opening the door…possible becoming an Agoraphobic. Plus, Lise never thought anything Sarah did was foolish or silly. Including collecting maps of all kinds, and trying to sketch out one of the Labyrinth. If left to her own devices, Sarah was sure she would never see the sunlight again. Lise, at least, kept Sarah normal. For that, she was grateful.

Her insistence that Sarah let a man or two into her life, was not so gracefully received. It happened every so often, most of the time when it was Friday Night and they had one of their late night chat sessions. The two, surprisingly, were close friends, though people would never put them together if they had met them separately. Annelise a short bubbly blonde with shimmering green eyes. The girl also hadn't exactly burst into womanly charm yet. Lise still looked like a teenager, acted like a preteen, and worked like an adult. If asked her mental age, Sarah was pretty sure Lise wouldn't know how to answer. Or anyone else for that matter.

However, at the moment, Lise had finally revealed what her current project was. Apparently, she'd gotten a hold of Sarah's book…finally…and had finished reading it. To Sarah's horror, Lise was in one of her rare moments of lucidness, and had somehow figured out that Garrod was not the Goblin Lord's name. How on earth the woman had come to that conclusion, that was a tooootal shock an had left Sarah so completely at a loss, she didn't have time to cover up with a lie before Lise knew she was on the right track.

"Squeeee! I knew it! So-So… what is his name, if it isn't Garrod, huhuhuhuhuh? Teeelllll me Saaaaaawah! Pweeeeeease." Case in point, regarding her maturity level. Did she say ten? She meant six. Sarah quickly schooled her features back into place. Blast her for being alert when it suited her. Blast that man who she was talking about. I refuse to even think his name. Who KNOWS what he'd count as a summon.

"I-I really don't think that the Goblin King would want you to know his name. Besides, it's a bad idea to summon him. It really is."

"Goblin –King-? So he isn't the Goblin Lord? Good thing too. I was pretty sure that wasn't his title too. It didn't flow. So, does he answer to that?"

"Forget it, Lise. You don't have a child to offer. He won't respond unless you have someone to offer."

Lise had a wicked grin on her face. "Well, I could offer my cousin… she screams constantly… Gives everyone around her headaches. Oddly enough…it doesn't really bother me much, but it will still be worth it to see him. I know you tried to downplay him, I could tell. You don't want anyone to see it…But I see through it, Saaaawwwwaaaah"

Sarah's blood had already run cold, as soon as Lise even played with the idea of offering her cousin. The pure desperation and anger that rose to her face, flushing her cheeks. "Never, -ever-, think of that again. Don't. Just…don't. Ever. Don't. Ever think of offering up a child. It's the worst feeling ever. To have to run that labyrinth, knowing you only have 13 hours… to reverse the horribly mistake you made… to sit there being eternally taunted by…taunted by… by…him…"

The realization dawned on Lise's face before it hit Sarah exactly what she'd just confessed. The younger girl totally squealed. "EEEEEEE! The girl in the STORY WAS YOU!! So, so, tell me what the Goblin King is like, hmm? You never went into enough detail in your memoir…why?" Perhaps Sarah shouldn't have been surprised at how easily Lise accepted all of this as fact. What she was surprised at was exactly how directly Lise struck to the core of all issues. You'd think she'd be easily distracted…

"For the very reason right now I'm trying to discourage you from sacrificing a child to see him. He's not worth it."

The smile on Annelise's face told Sarah the girl was about to challenge that…Sure enough, the girl climbed to her feet. "I'll judge that, eh?" To Sarah's horror, she started dancing around, singing what surely was an impromptu song. It couldn't have been made up in advance.

_Goblin King,_

_Goblin King,_

_Nary, nary, nary, thing._

_Sarah says I've all to feareth…_

_Sarah says I've all to feareth…_

_But I want to see you…_

The girl paused, even as the wind outside started to pick up. "What rhymes with feareth?"

It was almost a perfect opportunity. The man's name lingered on her tongue, she even opened her mouth to say it. Thankfully, she caught herself. "Neareth." It was hard to not answer a question from Lise, it really was. It was that childish look she still gave you when she asked. Lise accepted the answer in good faith, finishing her little ditty cheerily.

But I want to see you neareth

And then promptly danced all over the room, saying it over and over. It was impossible for Sarah not to laugh. To think that any dignified personage would respond to such a call? Her soul felt light again. It normally didn't with the Ruler of the Labyrinth on her mind.. not… that…he…was there…often… Her mind shifted gears hurriedly, back into it's lighter, happier, more carefree self. Like how she used to be before she got…well, paranoid was the best word for it at the moment.

Still, when Sarah spoke through her laughs, there was no reserves in her minds. She had not a care in the world for these brief sentences. It was as if every cloud had been chased away, even though right now, she could hear the first raindrops hitting the window. "Not…Not only would that fail… fail to bring him in…without…someone… y-you'll…" She paused, her laughter overwhelming speech for the moment. "G-get b-better results… if you…were… to say…"

She managed to suppress the rising laughter in her stomach, and summon up the remnants of her acting talents, and her stage presence. "I wish the Goblin King would come and see Annelise, right now." She dropped her ruse, and resumed laughing again. The rain was starting to hit the windowpane in earnest, not that one could see much against the background of the night sky. Sarah's heart was too light for the moment to realize the storm moving in. It wouldn't be allowed to damper her good mood.

"I'd… like… to see…. You… ignore… THAT…" That laughter here got particularly breathy and out of control. Where every breath is a laugh, and you're not sure how much of the oxygen is actually getting to your lungs. It was this giddy state that stole her control. "… Jareth!"

As the word passed her lips, the thunder crashed for the first time, bringing Sarah to the full realization of what she had just said. Between her pretend, and her saying his name? That was the kind of invitation she'd been avoiding giving for eleven years. ELEVEN years. And now, one night with a friend, and she'd… Oh by the heavens that were restless outside, what had she done?

Even Lise's eyes were wide. This storm had gone from mild shower to full fledged storm in a matter of minutes. The room lit up with the flash of lightning, showing the stricken expression Sarah sported, She could hear the wind as it howled, and she wasn't oblivious to the rattling it was causing with the window panes as its weapon. Any minute now, she expected them to blow open wide. And in the middle of their bedroom, the Goblin King would stand, ready to find a way to make her regret running through his hoops.

She even closed her eyes to avoid any flying debris from the wind that would surely accompany him. But…there was nothing. Not a thing. She peeked one eye open. The window was still shaking with the wind, but there was no creepy barn owl threatening to demand entrance with a crystal in hand, taunting her for finally saying his name.

Nothing. Nothing at all. The two girls locked eyes with one another. Lise was unreadable, but Sarah was wondering if perhaps she'd been paranoid for nothing? That she really wouldn't get the goblin King back in her life, unless she wished another child away?

And then the doorbell rang. The sound rang clear through the house, even though it should have been muffled and scattered by the wind and the rain. Not to mention, who would be out in this whether. Could it be…

Impossible. Since when did the Goblin King ring doorbells. Never. That wasn't a dramatic entrance at all. Lise's quiet, thoughtful mood was shatter,. As if she forgot everything that had just happened, she sprang to her feet where she'd hit the deck when Sarah had looked so nervous.

"I'll get it!"

"I'll strike in a way you won't predict." She barely succeeded in getting her feet under her as she repeated the Goblin King's words to herself. "No, Lise, it's not safe, don't open the door, its-"

By the time she turned the corner to look down the stairs at the door, Lise was already turning the handle. It was unbolted and unchained, and the only barrier between her and her worst nightmare was slowly being pulled back, like the surrender of a moated castle when they finally lower the drawbridge. Like that bitter surrender, she was well aware that on the other side of that door was that which haunted every dream if she didn't watch herself. Which, she did her best to try to. Most of the time.

It was too late. The door was already halfway to being opened. Maybe it… maybe it wasn't him? Maybe it was just the…um..milkman… Even she knew that was a ridiculous assumption. She caught the sight of platinum blonde hair and she stopped thinking. Instead she threw herself down the stairs, like some kind of madwoman. She had to keep that door from opening, or else!!

* * *

**_For those of you who mentioned you were excited about the Phantom connection, thank you, very much! I did mention it would be minor, but we'll see if you manage to catch it. It is possible to find it here. It's not major, as of yet. Sorry for the cliffie. I promise, however, that the next update will be up soon._**

**_Did I mention how much I love reviews?? Hugs to everyone who indulged me. I'm glad to see reviews... I'm glad you all liked the narrative. Next chapter I should start replying to reviews in here..XD_**


	4. Reminiscence and Suspicions

The door connected with her side with a sharp pain that spread all along it. But, she was rewarded with the slam of the door, and a shout from outside. She might have gotten his fingers in the door. Oh well. The blasted Goblin King would be fine. He was ALWAYS fine. It was other people that weren't when he was done.

"I-Its him..y-you c-can't answer the door…you just..can't…if you let him… in.. who knows…"

"Annelise? Is everything okay in there?" That voice. It… was… familiar… She put more weight against the door.

"Go away! No one wants you here! You have no power over me!"

Well, it had worked before. At the moment, it was the only thing she could think of saying. There was silence for a few aching moments and she'd thought he'd gone. That was, until, from the other side of the poor, she heard that voice again. It sounded different this time though. Not as familiar. Had she been hallucinating?

"Annelise, what's going on? I came to talk about the script… It's not the nicest weather out here, Lise." The voice grew a little annoyed, sounding more like who she feared it to be. Scratch that. Did she say feared? She wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Annelise poked Sarah's ribs until she moved, out of self defense, still mumbling under her breath how the Goblin King was here to get his revenge. Her hands were behind her, fumbling for an umbrella that was kept in a vase near the door. Her fingers gripped the wooden handle as she prepared to bludgeon the unwelcome intruder with it.

When Annelise threw open the door, Standing in front of it, head tilted to one side, and his weight put on one leg more than the other. The silhouette was all she could see. Sarah took a step back from the door. The wild hairstyle convinced her that the door should have stayed shut. And then the Goblin King stepped into the house.

And took off the rain hat he'd been wearing, shaking the remaining streamlets off of it. If I had thought this man was the Goblin King, I must have been thinking of a much more conservative one. The wild hair had been the streams of water and the hat. This man's hair was shorter than the Goblin king's, stopping as it grazed the shoulder. His hair, she could see in the proper light was also a tiny bit darker. Not much, just a little less ethereal. And that was so slight. Sarah yanked her thoughts back on course, and threw her attention on his eyes. That would reveal all in her mind.

This man's eyes were focused on Annelise, talking to her about something mundane. They were a dark green, almost hazel. However, there was nothing that was horribly magical about them. Even that glimmer could just be mischief on the brain. After all, he came running through the rain, to talk about a script… wait… a script?

"What script?" Was all she could think to say. Now the man turned to look at her, extending his hand.

"Ah. My apologies, I suppose I should give a little more attention to the woman who tried to take my hand off."

Annelise had a wicked glint in her eyes as she indicated to the man. "Sarah, this is Gink Ethaerj. Gink, this is Sarah Williams." Sarah was too busy sending her friend a 'Don't you even start matchmaking.' She missed the flash in the man's eyes as he took her hand in his, before she offered it, bringing it to his lips. Sarah's surprise covered her cheeks in a soft dusting of pink, but that was all she could manage to do, other than come to grips with the familiarity of his smirk. He...He couldn't be the goblin King, could he?

"A pleasure to meet you, Sarah."

"You… as well… Gink? Is that you real name?"

He straightened himself out, not dropping her hand yet. "No, one could say it is a nickname. I might tell you my real name later. It all depends."

She refused to bite, and ask what it depended on. Instead, she slid her hand out of his. He clearly wasn't the Goblin King. Simply because he let go so easily. Her mind relaxed a little, and she looked at Annelise. "What script? You haven't mentioned one…" Lise was especially excited now, bouncing up and down. There was some kind of anxiety on her features though.

"Ah, well, we, that is, Gink and I, read a book, and we made the mistake of listening to a lot of muuuuusic at the time. And, so inspired were we by this book, we decided to do a sequel- musical style!!" She was excited and stuff. But there was a kind of thrilled guilt in her eyes as well.

"And exactly what book is this…?"

There was a definite guilt now as Lise bounced on one foot and moved her weight to the other. "Umsie… Well, to be truthful…its…er… yours…"

And that was when it all came together. The sudden questions about the Labyrinth, the fascination. A sequel? There was no sequel! Nothing happened afterwards. A total work of fiction as a sequel to a true event? No wonder Lise hadn't told her. Gink however was looking at Lise with a bit of amused confusion.

"Oh? You mean you haven't asked her yet?"

Now Sarah was growing quite annoyed, but it didn't show in her features. Not yet anyway. Now Lise was supposed to have asked her something? She hadn't even told her what she was doing, and now had a question she was supposed to have asked her?

"Well, Saaaaarah..Meeeesa was thiiinking that yoooou…would be the bestest friendeth ever… if yous…would…be our… "

"No." That was the answer to that. It was bad enough dealing with her first experience once. She wasn't going to pretend her way through a sequel to her adventure. It was just…ludicrous…too much to ask of her. She wasn't going to do it.

"Aw come on, pleaaaaaaaaaaase?" Lise had turned on the adorable, I'm-your-best-friend-you-can't-deny-me-what-I –want-because-you-really-do-love-me-like-a-sister look and Sarah felt her will starting to bend a little. Well, it couldn't hurt…could it? Maybe, she'd try on last way to get out of it….

"I don't… sing." At that Lise burst into a wide grin.

"Ohhh. Nooow that's a lie Saaarah! You sing in the shower, eeeevery day." Sarah wasn't exactly sure why she cast a glance back over at Gink, but when she did, she definitely saw the wicked grin, and she could have sworn, for a moment,. That one eye seemed a different color that. Darker. For a moment, Sarah froze. And then the light touched it and she realized his eyes were still the same. She'd lost it… she was totally paranoid. Officially.

She thought about denying it, but she didn't actually want to know if Annelise had any proof. That was just a scary thought. The sad part was, she really did believe Annelise would somehow find proof. Or worse, already had it. Then again, it was Lise.

"Alright…" She received a happy squeal and an excited hug. Vaguely, she picked out the words thank you being repeated over and over airily. Then she was let go, and Gink got the same treatment, with different words that she couldn't actually here. Then Annelise gave another squeal and then hurried off to the kitchen.

Silence fell between the two still in the room. Sarah didn't want to volunteer to speak, simply because she didn't trust him. The coincidence of his arrival, the fact that he was blonde. That seemed to speak against him. More importantly ,it was simply the very way the man stood. It was just so…confident. She gave him a glance over, trying to process the person in front of her and match it up with the person she was trying to avoid so vehemently. There was a long trenchcoat, black and leather by the looks of it, soaked and dripping rainwater in her entry way. After that, all she saw was denim. While it was no where as tight as the he preferred… Best stop that train of thought immediately. She could see no sleeve past the leather. Even under a coat like this the poetic shirts that would have been another warning sign were absent. Or well concealed. His hands, however, were leather gloved, which sent her mind in circles.

Wait. She'd already declared that this couldn't be him, so why was she running him through the paces. She had no idea how long the silence had sat like this. Finally, steeling herself for the possible worst, she forced a smile on her face. After all, she was an actress, that's what she did. "So..Gink… how do you know Annelise?"

Dark green eyes flicked over at her. She saw it this time. The man shrugged, his voice soft, and… less annoyed than she had thought it should be..Should be? Gah! He spoke carelessly, as if it was the most causal thing to come visit in the middle of the night, and nearly get killed and mobbed by a girl who thought you were some kind of fantasy villain. But, of course, he didn't know who he was being mistaken for, or really, why she had tried so hard to keep him out. She had thrown herself down the stairs… She shook the memory away as he finally decided to answer her.

"Annelise is my cousin. Known the girl since she was a tyke." A simple comment. It immediately set her mind at ease. Scrutiny revealed that he was at least 4 years her elder, though likely it was more in the range of 6-9. Believable that he knew Annelise since infancy. The ruler of the goblins, as she had forced herself to resume calling the figure, would not be related to a mortal up here..Aboveground… so that meant…this man couldn't be the Goblin thinger…

So, why did she still feel he was. She forced her hospitality to come out of its shell and show its face. "Would you like something to drink…Gink..?"

His features showed a sort of almost detached amusement. "I'm afraid I'll have to pass on that." Sarah let her muscles untense. Good. She had only offered out of a sense of duty. Regrettably, she still held on to that. Didymus had certainly inspired her there. In fact, she was rather glad he'd refused the offer- She would rather have some time to talk to Annelise about this…situation.

That was why she was surprised to see his eye lower themselves over her frame, concentrating on her upper arm. "I make a point to avoid temptation when at all possible." Temptaion? Where was he finding temptation? She only need to follow his eyes. Down her frame she became conscious of her attire. Definitely not the sort to meet company in. Unflatteringly cut black cotton pants, and a thin white camisole. She let her gaze go to where he was staring and realized in some level of horror that one of the straps had slipped itself down.

Her mind immediately flipped through the last few minutes. It must have happened in her mad attempt to keep him out which Lise had so neatly foiled. Silly girl… Well, as it turned out there hadn't been any danger, but there COULD have BEEN! She'd have to talk to Lise about this later. In the meantime, she was aware that the man's gloved hand was reaching toward the shoulder that he was looking at, clearly intending to fix the wardrobe malfunction he'd caused, indirectly.

Her hand flew up defensively, setting the strap back up, and her voice came out as cold as the air that blew in with the open door. She moved several paces backward. "Ah. Then I won't keep you. I will see you…later…" She was already halfway to the kitchen before she received a cordial nod as he swept his hat back onto his heat.

"At casting."

And then the man was gone. Thank heavens. Sarah made a beeline to the kitchen, not particularly thrilled to see the light in Annelise's eyes glittering into her bowl of minty ice cream. While Sarah dished up her own, the younger girl spoke, sweet as honey, and clearly laced with good intentions.

"So… do you like Gink, Sarah?" Sarah sighed, tossing a blue eyed gaze over at her friend. A growl started to rise in her throat as her mind presented her with the image of another blond, sprawled over an archaic throne, peering intently into a crystal. Her mind started to zoom, to see the image presented. She swatted the image away, truly not interested in whatever he was looking at.

"No." She answered as she opened the drawer to retrieve a spoon.

Annelise looked shocked. "What? Why not?!" The girl actually had dropped her spoon and was now getting another out of the drawer. Sarah saved her the trouble by handing her one.

"He seems nice enough, Lise, but really, he reminds me of someone I'd rather forget. Please, no matchmaking?" As Sarah dug into the ice cream, Lise ate her s slowly. She was throwing a fit. A twenty year old girl throwing a fit. It was a sight to see. At least it was a quiet fit. Sarah enjoyed the bitter edge of the mint. It helped her clear her thoughts properly. Images were arising, images she'd thought she'd repressed, but this…Gink Ethaerj. He was making them all come rushing back. The similarities were enough to shake her mental walls.

The last sharp bite slid down her throat. She set the bowl down to allow the cats to have their fill. She knew that Lise would do the same. She'd had a bigger bowl though, so it would take more time. She stretched a little, and finally bid the girl goodnight. "You'll have to fill me in on details tomorrow. I want to know everything about this…sequel… Sleep Well, Annelise…" And with that, Sarah Williams trudged up the stairs, with sleep, preferably dreamless, on the brain.

* * *

**_For those of you who are searching for hints and the like, I'm a name addict. Just not with Lise's... I also do want opinions on the sprightly one. What does everyone think of Annelise?_**


	5. Hot and Cold

Apparently there was some kind of unspoken rule against eating large amounts of candy, and then going to sleep. Actually, regrettably, the sleep part wasn't the issue with her hopes. It was the dreamless part. If sugar wasn't the sanity of nations… she'd have given it up ages ago. At this point, she was pretty sure her brain was entirely broken. If not all of it, at least the section involving will power. Her thoughts were going in the exact opposite direction of where she wanted them to go.

They fluttered back to the ballroom in the crystal. Of course, now she was older, but it was still the same fantasy gown. Not the first time she'd felt physical attraction to a male, even then. But this was definitely…different…an entirely different level of...She found herself searching for him. She hadn't let herself relive this memory in so long. She was wanting to find him.

There were jeers around her. She shifted, trying not to be too disconcerted by it. She never liked crowds after this… The thought was like a dream in the back of her head that was ignored. A few bumps around, and finally she found him. Right in front of her, as if he'd been there the whole time. The dance came with no hesitation. She actually let herself enjoy the surreal experience.

There was a thought niggling at the back of her mind. She was waiting. There was supposed to be something here… Something to remind her…of something… What was it?

Her mind brought forward the image of an off beat clock…too cramped… like there was one too many numbers on it's face. There was none around however… Frightened by the lack of knowledge, she turned back to look at her dance partner. Into the mystical eyes that seemed to have a color all their own. Not green, not blue, not brown… One did seem darker than the other. But… were they laughing at her?

As she tried to listen, she realized the laugh echoing in her ears was her own. She was the one laughing. Laughing! And while she was laughing, she draped her arms over the Goblin King's shoulders, and laughing she was as he pulled her closer. She focused on him, not what she was trying to remember, and felt the focus returned. Intense, the air seemed to crackle.

Something was about to happen. Something that hadn't happened before. Events were taking a turn for the… what side? Worse? Better? The distance between them was shrinking. Not just between their bodies, but their faces as well were becoming ever so closer. For the most part, he was the one doing the moving, for she…her movements were tentative. All this time had passed, and still, she was too enchanted with her situation for any level of intensity.

It was almost like moving through a fog. Her thoughts took so much longer to finally reach her limbs. Was this what would have happened without that...blasted…clock… She couldn't believe what she was seeing, nor what she was thinking. Was the clock blasted because it was missing now? Or… because it wasn't messing then? Part of her was quietly desiring that now. Desiring that the clock hadn't been there, that she might have been, perhaps, that this might… have happened…

There were only a few millimeters left before she could have her other wanton desire. She wanted this, this… she was eagerly awaiting the Goblin King's kiss… Despite how much she was beating herself up internally, over this. She shouldn't want this at all. This was the opposite of what she wanted! Nevertheless, it appeared she was helpless to stop it. Her thoughts were counting down the seconds… 4…

…2…

1…

_beep_

There was an entirely annoying set of sounds that shattered the dream nearly as neatly as she had. Alright, so she hadn't shattered it as neatly as this shrill sound did. Her shattering was actually rather noisy and messy. This was just noisy. The effect, however, was just as efficient.

Her hand moved through the sleepy fog and slammed down several times, in an attempt to find the correct button to silence the beeping. Finally she managed to slam down the proper slab of rubber and the oppressive noise ceased. Sarah sighed loudly, growling immediately afterwards. But what was she growling at? Her alarm? Herself? Him?

It had to be him. IT was all his fault. That dream was sent from him the jerk… She just knew it. Twisted man that he was. With a stretch, she started out for her day. If only she could shake the memory of the dream from her thoughts, it would be a perfectly normal, perfectly acceptable day. In fact, she'd be rather content. She'd gotten enough sleep she'd be awake through the day without wasting most of it. A rare occurrence, to be sure.

That was why she sought the refuge of a nice hot shower. Between the warmth, and the pounding water, she would very easily be able to get him off her mind. Yes, she had efficiently, hopefully, reduced him to but a pronoun. Then again, she had thought that before, hadn't she?

More importantly, she couldn't shake the feeling. Her skin seemed cold, and it seemed like her entire body was longing to be back there, his arms around her waist, hers around his shoulders. The burning anticipation that had filled her in the dream hadn't been dispelled when she'd woken up. That was definitely annoying. The only thing worse than having a dream like that was not being able to forget a dream like that.

Her mind got caught away in the memory again. Her heart rate began to increase, and when she glanced up in the mirror, she was starting to look a little flushed. Hands trembling slightly she quickly flipped the water's temperature.

Cold shower it was then.

--

By the time Annelise crawled down the stairs, lacking her normal energy, Sarah was almost done with the pancakes. Actually, there was a fairly impressive pile already waiting for the two. Sarah hardly looked up.

"Good morning." Her voice resonated with cheer, as odd as that might be. Of course, it was already two hours later, anyone would have had enough time to wake up. But on your average day, after your average night, Sarah would have been pleasant, not cheery. That was Annelise's job. The apartment was only big enough for one cheery person. Or maybe it was big enough for more than one… Perhaps they'd find out later today at this rate.

As the blonde stumbled to the fridge, Sarah had already flipped three pancakes onto a plate for her, sliding it across the counter. "Topping is in the fridge. Strawberry is in the third bowl to the right." Lise merely nodded blurrily and pulled out the proper bowl. She wasn't allowed maple syrup, and having it in the house posed too much of a temptation, so Sarah sacrificed the syrup for sanity's sake. Instead, they kept fruit sauce in the fridge. It was a bit of an invented recipe. Some fruit, some juice, a little bit of honey, some cornstarch and a bit of pixie dust. Voila, instant sweet minus the crazy afterwards.

Annelise was looking a little guilty today. She wouldn't look up at Sarah, and almost picked at her food. Almost, because eventually the food did make it up to her mouth. Sarah was about to ask what was the matter, when the doorbell rang. Annoyed almost, Sarah sat her blackberry laden plate on the table and headed to the door.

The doorbell seemed to be a kind of bomb. All of a sudden, Lise's guilt and silence was gone and she couldn't keep her words spaced clearly. It all came rushing out at once. "Iinvitedginkoverforbreakfastbeforewegoovertothetheaterforcastinginanhour."

Sarah head spun trying to figure out exactly what had just spilled out of her friends mouth. As she was trying to look at Lise's penitent expression, she only caught a glimpse of blonde hair and a knowing smirk. Her treacherous brain flipped back to her earlier dream, but quickly squelched the thoughts.

"Ah. Gink. I was just informed you were coming." Her features were slightly annoyed. Lise should have said something earlier, not while she was on her way to the door. The girl was now settled down into her food again. Sarah wouldn't even look at her for the moment. Lise was keeping too many secrets to herself lately.

"Fruit is in the fridge. We don't keep maple syrup in the house, you probably know why." From the chuckle behind her, she figured he did know that. It was the depth of that chuckle that surprised her. Low, it nearly made her shudder. But, through a miracle of self control, she didn't. Isntead she settled down at her plate. No one used their voice for a while- the only sounds were plates and forks clinking together, and chewing. Finally, Gink spoke again, sounding highly amused, if a little bit confused.

"What, no peaches?"

Indeed, there was a full array of fruits. Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, and even apples. But there were no peaches, despite the fact that it was an normal breakfast fruit. Sarah tensed, her fork stopping halfway to her mouth. It was something in that tone, that voice, which simply cried out, 'hey, identify me'! And then, of course, there was the part of her that did and then immediately started shouting 'Run away!!'.

Luckily, Lise had perked up enough that although she answered a little nervously, she still answered. "Sarah…is allergic to peaches…" Which, was the story the two had agreed upon, because it was difficult to explain, early on, why there were to be no peaches in the house. Of course, now it probably made since to Annelise, but, it was simply easier to say that, albeit, dishonestly, that she was allergic. Gink cocked an eyebrow at the two, but silently spooned blackberries over his pancakes before he sat down.

Nevertheless, silence basically ruled the air. There was the occasional pass the butter, but that was rare. Then, finally Gink decided to break the silence. "So, Sarah." She wasn't sure she liked the tone in his voice. "What are you looking for in a man?"

The question simply shocked her to say the least. Her fork slipped from her fingers and she stared openly, a bit of indignation flashing in her eyes. Okay, so, it was more than a bit. Hardly any of it showed in her voice though. "Excuse me?!"

He met her eyes calmly, and was that…amusement? Why was he so…carefree. He acted like he had everything under control, all the time. He simply chuckled. "I mean, in our Garrod."Immeidately her body untensed, but he got no apology. Only a sigh.

"Ah. Well, I'll just have to see which one works best I suppose." Which one seemed the most arrogant, which one was the most regal, which one was the most… alluring…that was the word she was going to use, and which one made her want to dream… Whoa! Where did that thought come from?? She shook that thought in a hurry. Seriously, the last thing she wanted to do was find someone ELSE who reminded her of him that much, that she started to dream of him again.

Gink was doing that just fine… She made a resolve to avoid him as much as possible. Though she logicked it all out in her mind, he couldn't possibly be him. After all, he would have no mortal relatives. Everything she found on him declared him to be immortal, through and through. But he could have been lying… But, Annelise… She'd ask Annelise..the girl couldn't tell a lie if her life depended on it.

"So, Lise, Gink said he's your cousin… on which side? He doesn't seem like he came from your father's…Ethaerj is just too odd of a last name for a pureblood American."

Annelise giggled, casting Gink a glance. "He's from my mother's side. My Uncle Jacques is his father."

Sarah tipped her head. "That's funny, I was pretty sure your mother's maiden name wasn't Ethaerj." Annelise waved the comment off.

"C'lest vie.It is…not important. Anyway, so, today, we're just going to doing the casting for Garrod. The other roles have already been decided. Unfortunately, we have er… about 89 applicants we all have to preview. We're having them sing, dance, a little bit, mostly act, and play with the crystals."

Sarah was already dreading it. She really wanted to question the sanity of the venture at this point, but Annelise glanced over at the clock and gave a large gasp that wasn't at all helped by the fact that she was drinking from her glass at the exact moment. Inhaling milk down the wrong windpipe never is pleasant. By the time she finished clearing her throat, they'd finally gathered that it was time for them to be hopping off to the auditions.

She didn't even have time to try to get out of it.

* * *

**_Please, give me a little bit of credit. xD I didn't simply write any name backwards. I'm not that obvious. No, dear, he's not based off of Erik. Too blonde for that. Guess you'll have to wait to make the connection….(chuckles) I think one of you has almost got it…darn you Darck. However, I'm not making any promises regarding any secrets that Gink may or may not be holding. As for Annelise, yes, she does tend to be a little annoying sometimes._**


End file.
